


April (Fools in Love)

by starlight_and_seafire



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: April Fools' Day, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 14:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18317537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlight_and_seafire/pseuds/starlight_and_seafire
Summary: Poe has always liked April Fools’ Day, loves all the surprises and pranks that come along with the occasion. But this year, he thinks he’d rather take a more creative interpretation as to the day.He’s just a fool in love, after all.





	April (Fools in Love)

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of people don’t like April Fool’s Day (and I’m not the biggest fan of it either, particularly when it comes to any sort of jump scares). In this story, Poe realizes that version of April Fools’ might not be the best idea, even though Rey’s backstory isn’t delved into. Here, his version just involves a lot of sweet gestures.
> 
> There’s also a tiny bit of implied nudity in this story (a character takes a bath and starts undressing in front of the other) and one or two curse words.
> 
> Otherwise, I hope you enjoy!

Poe gets home late in the evening, long after Rey and Beebee have gone to bed. He softly opens the bedroom door, even though he knows she’s probably awake anyway, or at least somewhere in that soft, fuzzy space just shy of awareness.

She’s a light sleeper, always halfway aware of what’s going on around her. He learned that early on when they had first started spending nights together, when he did his best to keep silent if he woke up in the middle of the night in an effort not to disturb her, only to hear her sleep-muzzy voice telling him it was alright, no need to be silent on her account.

Sometimes he thinks she can hear a person move even before they make the decision to.

Still, he makes sure to open the door as quietly as possible, tiptoeing through the soft moonlight filtering in through the curtains as he sheds his clothing before sliding quietly in to bed next to her.

She nestles herself into his arms before slipping just as easily back to sleep, and he tucks his face into the back of her neck. His mind has been whirring all day with his plans for tomorrow, but now he’s warm and content, and his mind slows on down until finally he joins Rey in dreamland.

\--

His watch vibrates against his wrist, the alarm waking him up.

He’s never been one to sleep in much, not even on those rare weekends where he’s got nothing planned, as his body and mind are always _go go go_ from the moment he first awakens.

But Rey - sleepy, snuggly Rey - who’s just barely been pulled out of her slumber probably by the vibration of his watch, has threatened that in ways nothing else could. He’s often helpless to those sleepy smiles of hers urging him to stay in bed just a little bit longer, and today’s no exception, as she nuzzles into him a little more.

He’s got plans, plans that need to be put into action soon, but he figures he can spare a minute or two to just enjoy the moment, and he strokes a hand up and down her spine as she gets comfortable once more.

When he’s on the edge of falling back asleep, a fact that he simply chalks up to being one of her many superpowers, he knows he needs to get up, and manages to gently ease her off his chest. Even as she grumbles in protest, her eyes remaining stubbornly closed, he just presses a kiss to her forehead and tells her to go back to sleep and he’ll be back soon.

He’s got plans, you see. Surprises to give her throughout the day, things that should delight and please her, that will hopefully cause her to give him that slow, syrupy smile of hers he loves so much, the one he’s pretty sure few have ever seen, where her lips sweetly tip upwards even as her eyes grow soft.

He knows April Fools’ Day is traditionally associated more with big pranks, or surprises of a more shocking nature that will cause someone to startle or jump in fright.

But he knows – even if she hasn’t said so explicitly– that she wouldn’t like that. Despite her love of horror movies, where she likes to curl up in piles of blankets and expects the jump scares to come, he knows that she hates to be startled, much less have someone intentionally trying to scare her.

He’s different, he knows. She’s probably just as much of an adrenaline junkie as he is, but he grew up with a father who loved April Fools’ Day, who liked pretending to be the monster jumping from corners causing his toddler son to shriek and giggle in delight. But for Poe, that “monster” always had his father’s face, and his mother always came along to swoop him up in her arms and fly him away from danger, and the shock of a sudden appearance never scared him in any way that mattered.

But he thinks his first surprise surely should please her.

It’s only a short walk to and from where he needs to go, and he brings Beebee with him. Of course, his plan to gently rouse Rey fully awake when he gets back goes down in flames when Beebee dashes through the open bedroom door, practically leaping halfway across the room to land on Rey’s legs.

But Rey – beautiful, light-sleeper Rey – sensed him coming, her slender arms stretching out to help Beebee catch his balance even as he wiggles excitedly around in an attempt to snuggle with her.

She’s grinning at the dog’s antics, even as she eyes the small box in Poe’s hands. A moment later, he sees her take a delicate sniff of the air, and her eyes widen in realization.

“Are those - ?”

“Yep,” he says, moving to sit on the bed next to her. He sets down the tray with two coffees first, before opening the box. Two gigantic cinnamon rolls sit nestled together, and he hears her gasp of pleasure even as her greedy fingers reach in to snag one of the treats.

Her moan of delight as she takes that first bite pleases him to no end, especially when that smile he loves so much makes its appearance (even if it is slightly misshapen from her mouthful of food). Ever since she had first tried the cinnamon rolls from the corner bakery, she’s deemed it amongst her most favorite foods. The popularity of the sweet treat, however, usually meant it had been sold out more often than not when she usually ambled her way down the street in the later hours of the morning.

Even with as much of an early bird as he is, he can still only manage to snag one about half the time.

Of course, this time he may or may not have bribed Maz, the diminutive owner of the little bakery, with promises of doing a little handyman work around the store. She just winked at him, promising that it would probably turn out to be some thirsty work.

Rey practically inhales those first few bites, only taking short breaks to sip at her outrageously over-sweetened coffee (and she had given him that grin again, that sweet, sweet smile, when she had judged that he made it _just right_ , and he practically melted). She slows down eating it when there’s only a few bites left, and it tugs on his heartstrings probably more than it should when she glances down at the small piece of her cinnamon roll remaining, looking sad and almost shocked that it had disappeared on her so quickly.

Of course, when he passes over the remaining half of his cinnamon roll – he doesn’t have nearly as much of a sweet tooth as her, anyway – her sad look melts away, only to be replaced with a smile so bright that he thinks the sun has met its match.

The kiss she gives him afterwards was plenty sweet, too.

\--

The next surprise involved a bit of a trip. Somehow, he managed to convince her to follow him out the door, and he was rewarded with the bright sound of her laughter when he finally parked his car.

“Putt-putt?” She asked, facing him with a smirk. “You felt like getting your ass kicked today?”

He smirked right back. “Maybe I’m feeling lucky?”

Rey shook her head at him, amused. “We’ll see about that.”

The banter continues as they approach the entrance to the putt-putt place on the outskirts of the city park. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and Rey is in even better form than usual as she proceeds to wipe the floor with him.

It’s not even close.

After the last hole they tally the scores, and Poe pouts as Rey spins in a circle, her arms raised in victory. When she finally stops and sees his face, she giggles and reaches out to cradle his face in her hands.

“Aww, I’m sorry,” she says, though the mirth in her eyes signals she’s anything but. “And here I thought you were feeling lucky.”

He smiles and shrugs. “And who says I’m not?”

\--

They wander through the park next. Rey delights in the way the early spring wildflowers bloom in the fields, and ventures through some dense foliage elsewhere when some plant manages to catch her eye. They pause briefly on the edge of the little lake and watch the ducks swim nearby and listen to the laughter of the people who are enjoying a lazy afternoon pedaling their small boats around in the water.

He briefly considers asking her if she wants to rent one of the little boats, knows they have never done that activity together before. When she starts venturing away from the lake talking idly about maybe getting an early dinner – even though they had shared pretzels and hot dogs during putt-putt not two hours earlier – he has to admit he’s a little relieved.

He’s never liked those little rental boats at the lake, even though he’s never actually been on one. They make him uncomfortable, though he doesn’t know why.

\--

Next, he suggests they eat at the little Italian place around the corner from the park. It’s one of her favorites, and she almost claps her hands in glee when they bring out her plate of lasagna. She dives in with relish, finishing the lasagna and several of the breadsticks off while Poe works on his chicken parmigiana.

When she reaches for the dessert menu, he reaches out to rest his hand on her wrist and suggests that they head across the street to the gelato shop. He knows she likes the cheesecake here, but she absolutely adores the gelato.

“Why?” She asks, tilting her head to the side, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looks at him. “You love the cannoli’s here, and I could get the cheesecake or something.” Suddenly her eyes widen. “Oh no.”

The sudden change in Rey’s demeanor surprises Poe, and he has no clue what could have caused the reaction. “Oh no . . . what?”

Rey almost looks embarrassed now. “Is today – is today something important? An anniversary or something? I’m trying to remember, but I can’t think of anything, and it’s not my birthday, so I think maybe I missed an anniversary? I’m so, so sorry, and-”

Poe waves a hand, not wanting her to continue to stress herself out, as she seems intent on continuing her babbling. “No, no. You didn’t miss an anniversary or anything,” and Poe watches as her shoulders finally relax. “No, it’s April Fools.”

“April Fools?”

“Yeah, I wanted to surprise you.”

“The cinnamon rolls and the putt-putt and the park and now this and gelato? You did all this because it’s April Fools’ Day and you wanted to surprise me?”

Poe grins, feeling very proud of himself. “Yep!”

Rey’s eyes are wide as she looks at him for a long moment, her mouth slightly agape. “Wait, what?” Then she laughs. “Poe, that’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works. April Fools is about pranks and practical jokes and such.”

Poe shrugs his shoulders and grins. “It is if we want it to.”

Rey stares at him for another long moment, before a slow smile pulls at her lips. “Well, alright then. Let’s get that gelato you were talking about.”

\--

When they get back to the house dusk had already fallen, and it was easy enough to shepherd Rey to the bathroom with the suggestion of a long, relaxing bath. He accepts her exaggerated eyeroll good-naturedly as he pulls out a scented candle and a bath bomb.

“Toss it in,” he says, and they watch as it dissolves in the warm water, turning it a bright green shade.

She laughs in delight. “That is amazing. You’re amazing,” she says, winding her arms around his neck, scratching her nails gently against the nape. “And a bit absurd,” and he nods slightly in acknowledgement of the statement. “But mostly amazing.”

She steps out of his arms then, and moves to take her top off, and he’s just standing there, grinning like a fool.

Her hands have already gone to the button of her jeans when she stops, a puzzled expression on her face. “Aren’t you going to join me?”

That knocks him out of his stupor, and he steps in quick, stealing a kiss from her before moving toward the door. “I’ve got one last surprise planned. Enjoy your nice, _long_ , relaxing bath.”

“I promise to enjoy my _long_ bath,” she says grinning, clearly catching on. “You’ll need to come get me, or I’ll be in here long after my toes get pruney,” she says, winking at him.

He walks out of the bathroom, laughing at Rey’s ridiculousness. He loves it – he loves _her_ , he thinks, practically whistling as he hurries to implement the last part of his plan.

\--

Thankfully, with his preparations last night, he’s already more than halfway done, and by keeping Rey busy and away from his backyard during the day, she was none the wiser.

He had been planning to spruce up his backyard and deck ages ago, long before Rey even came into his life, but he had never been inspired enough to actually do it. But watching how much she loved the outdoors, how often they would sit outside and drink and eat and just enjoy the evening, suddenly gave him the motivation to fix it up.

With a little help from Finn and Rose over the last few weeks, planters with flowers and herbs had been created and hidden away, only to be brought out and set up along the edges of the small deck. His old, dilapidated wooden bench had been replaced with a small sofa nestled amongst the plants, and he had bought bright cushions to add some pops of color amongst all the green (and okay, he was just really partial to the bright orange pillows from the moment he saw them). A small table sat in front of it, while string lights dangled from the rafters.

His favorite piece, though, had to be the hammock that now stretched out in the backyard. He’s always been a fan of lazy days in the sunshine.

He finishes taking down the tarps that were covering everything just in case she had peered into the backyard for some reason earlier that day. He tosses the cushions on the bench and turns on the string lights. He steps back to proudly survey his (and Rose’s and Finn’s) handiwork, and with a snap of his fingers, dashes inside. A moment later he returns with a bottle of wine and two glasses and sets them carefully on the little table.

He takes a deep breath and walks inside, knocking on the bathroom door before peeking in. She lolls her head lazily towards him, smiling at him from where she sits in the warm, vibrantly green bath, reading a book.

“I guess this means you’re about ready for me?” She asks, dragging a foot out from under the water and peering at it. “Yep, looks like my toes are pruney enough.”

“There’s no rush, sweetheart,” he says, even as she’s already setting her book safely aside.

“Water’s beginning to grow cold, anyway. Though you’re gonna have to tell me where you got this bath bomb, it’s fantastic.”

Within a few minutes, she’s dressed once more in warm clothes and he’s leading her slowly down the hallway towards the back door, where Beebee is already roaming around outside. His hands cover her eyes, even though he has to adjust slightly to get one hand free to open the door before guiding her the last few steps.

With a flourish, he takes his hands away, exclaiming “Tada!” and watches as she blinks rapidly at first, before slowing down as her eyes finally adjust and she takes in the new decorations.

She gazes around her, mouth slightly agape. “This is amazing,” she finally says, still in awe, and starts walking around, peering at the plants dotting the edges, leaning in to sniff the planter of herbs nearest the stairs heading into the yard. She turns back to face him, smiling widely, before gazing up at the lights above. “This is really, truly amazing. How did you pull this off without me knowing?”

“Magic,” and at her knowing look, he shrugs and says, “Well, Finn and Rose helped, so it’s the same thing, really.”

She strolls towards him, her eyes mirthful even as she says, “My boyfriend is so absurd. Pulling all this together for an April Fools’ Day surprise.” He’s grinning even as she wraps her arms around him and leans in to press her lips to his. “My silly, absurd, lovely, amazing boyfriend.”

“So, you like it?”

Her laughter rings out into the air around them. “Like it? I love it – I love _you_. This whole day has been amazing. Best April Fools’ Day ever, hands down.” She presses her forehead against his, and he whispers his love back to her as they stand there, swaying back and forth, just breathing each other in as they listen to the sounds that fill the night air.

Rey breaks the silence first. “You may have won April Fools’ Day this year but watch out. I’ll be bringing my A-game next year.”

Poe bursts out laughing. “Oh, it’s on.”


End file.
